Children's Home run by Keys Specialist Residential Children's Services Ltd in Worcestershire

Inspection report children’s home: SC481312 1 SC481312 Registered provider: Keys Specialist Residential Children’s Services Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company and is registered to provide care for up to three children with complex emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2023. He is experienced and is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection three children were living in the home. Two children were present during the inspection, and both children were spoken to by the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 28 November 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: SC481312 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/11/2022 Full Outstanding 02/11/2021 Full Good 06/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC481312 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming and has a family atmosphere. This can be felt when you walk through the door. Children’s belongings fill the home and soft furnishings and decor help to create a nurturing environment. Children personalise their bedrooms and this allows them to take a sense of pride in their home and promotes their well-being. The décor, maintenance and organisation of the home clearly suggest that those who live there are important, valued and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a stable and consistent staff team. Relationships between staff and children are warm, affectionate and loving. Staff are continually curious about, and reflect on, how they can help children grow in all areas of their development. This helps children to build trust and to feel safer and relaxed in their surroundings. Children welcome hugs from the staff when they arrive at the home and staff take the children out on a family night to the cinema.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are positive about living here and say that the best thing about living here is how the staff look after them and the opportunities they have. One child described the team as ‘amazing’ and said, ‘They have welcomed me in, I have never felt love like this before.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is promoted and supported well. The staff work effectively with education providers and promote children’s engagement with school. Staff know how well schools meet children’s needs and act if they are concerned that they do not. All children now attend school regularly and are making good progress from their starting points. One child required constant encouragement to attend and engage. Despite this challenge, staff were consistent in their approach and adapted their strategies to slowly and successfully support this child to reintegrate into education despite them having a history of no school attendance. This means that they meet children’s learning needs and address any issues.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that staff are skilled and equipped to meet all children’s needs. This enables the staff to prepare and support children well, so that their moves into and out of the home are smooth and successful. One child who has lived at the home for over four years has recently moved out to live with family. The manager and staff exhausted all efforts to give them the best possible start in life. Despite resistance from the child to engage at times, the team continued to persevere and always had high aspirations for what they can achieve. They were taught valuable independence skills, had an education provision and a place of work identified and suitable alternative accommodation was found. These opportunities enabled the child to take on appropriate levels of responsibility to develop life skills for the future. Inspection report children’s home: SC481312 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have the skills and knowledge to keep children safe. Children do not go missing from the home. Concerns about children who have previously gone missing from care have massively reduced, and there have been no incidents of children going missing while they have lived at the home. There are good missing from care risk assessments in place that give the staff clear direction about how to respond and manage this risk.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Each child has a wealth of documentation about their needs, challenges and potential risks. Staff create comprehensive risk assessments together with children, who help to determine the best strategies staff can use that will help to keep them safe. Staff monitor these plans effectively and keep them under review so that they evolve as the children’s needs change.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff educate children about risk. Children take part in key-work sessions and engage in meetings when safeguarding scenarios are discussed to address identified risks and raise their awareness about topics of concern. This direct work includes online safety, healthy relationships and substance misuse. This positive work enhances children’s knowledge of risk and allows them to take the lead in their learning.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Managers and staff listen to children’s views. Children know how to make a complaint, and any complaints would be taken seriously. All children told the inspector that they feel listened to and valued.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The strength and consistency of the safe relationships that children have with the staff makes children feel secure. Staff are clear about their responsibilities and know how to respond to safeguarding concerns. Comprehensive training, regular supervision and team meetings provide staff with the knowledge and skills they need to inform their practice and safely care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has created an open and inclusive culture that places children at the centre of practice. He proactively sets clear standards of care. His committed and determined approach continues to drive improvements in the home. He has high expectations and aspirations for children. The staff share the manager’s vision, which is demonstrated through the culture and ethos of the home. This ensures that children receive good- quality care from a dedicated and ambitious team of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leadership, management and staff cohesion are now clear strengths of the home and ensure the safety and welfare of children. Strategic reviews of incidents and managerial audits at the home provide constant evaluation of staff practice and highlight children’s changing needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Experienced staff speak very positively about the changes that the management team have made. The manager is well regarded and are nurturing towards the team, which creates an environment in which staff feel well supported. Equally, the management Inspection report children’s home: SC481312 5 team value and appreciate the team and go above beyond to recognise the good work they do. Support and challenge is effective, and the manager ensures that all actions are reviewed. This means that poor practice is addressed effectively, and that good practice is promoted. One staff member said, ‘He has encouraged me to learn aspects of the job at my own pace and has offered endless support every step of the way.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with a range of training that includes training in the needs of the children. Additionally, supervision sessions and focused team meetings are highly effective management tools and address areas for development to ensure that staff practice is effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established strong connections with partner agencies. Professionals are positive about the communication with the team, about the care provided for children and all recognise the progress the children have made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been no requirements or recommendations made during this inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC481312 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC481312 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Specialist Residential Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspector

Marianne Grandfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC481312 8 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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